Last episode left off with Dexter finally telling the truth to Debra about his out-there extra curricular activities. This episode (‘Sunshine and Frosty Swirl’) opens to this scene again.

Now, Debra loves Dexter a lot (and in the last season, perhaps too much in some aspects), but I’m actually impressed at her coping ability. To be honest I expected her to draw into herself and become super depressed and self-hating and whatnot. But no, instead she runs out of his apartment, to the street, and throws up. Even though Dexter runs after her, it isn’t a chase scene, and when he says “I just want to know you’re okay” its legit. Of course there’s a whole bunch of anger and emotion, and a whole lot of swearing from Deb, but it actually goes well considering. Especially since she accepts his offer to go back into his apartment with him, instead of running away and getting the whole force on his ass.

This seems to be the season of truth, with Dexter spilling everything about his past to Debra (finally). In return, Deb voices the concerns and criticisms of those who don’t like the idea of Dexter. It goes a little like a conversation between a Dexter-stan and someone who is all about cops over vigilantes.

Then Deb gets her gun and badge, walks up to Dexter, and there’s a moment when you can see her considering arresting him. For Dexter’s part he seems ready to surrender to her without a fight, but no need because Deb just punches him in the face and walks out. Have I mentioned how much I love Deb?

After she leaves Dexter picks up the Ice Truck Killer arm and wonders why it’s in his apartment. Uhhh, yeah me too. Ever since last season. It’s kind of been on the backburner, but for this episode it seems to have been shifted to share the spotlight with Deb’s revelation.

Dexter is trying to hunt down why he was sent the hand and by who, and runs into Masuka who explains the theft to him. This sends Louis to the top of his suspect list, but with the Deb situation he can’t do much about it.

Back in the real world of policing and whatnot, the department is dealing with Wayne Randall, a con who wants to show investigators some bodies of his victims that have not yet been uncovered. Dexter puts up his hand to help, but Deb shoots him down and sends Masuka instead. Ooooh trust issues.

Then she invites him out to a nice walk on the marina to suggest that he go into ‘serial killer rehab’ AKA move in with her and let her watch him 24/7. She loves him dearly and wants him to get better, so this is her compromise that doesn’t result in Dexter being locked away. The idea is interesting and is definitely going to make for some great television, but there is a part of me that’s worried because Dexter knows his way out of sticky situations, duping a trusting sister would be child’s play, and if he breaks free and she finds out that will probably be the end of their loving relationship. And that would just make me sad.

Still, Dexter does seem genuinely interested in giving it a go, despite some initial reluctance.

Meanwhile, LaGuerta is digging deeper into the blood slide and the Bay Harbour Butcher case. This is totally going to snowball out of control later in the season, but for now it’s only started and I’m sure it’ll start blowing up when everything else does. If this show is good at something it’s juggling a whole bunch of storylines and simultaneously having them blow up in Dexter’s face.

Batista and Quinn are harassing the strip club again, trying to get more information about the death of the stripper and Andersen in last episode. Quinn makes friends with a stripper and gives her his number. Cos that isn’t going to go badly at all.

At Deb’s Fort Knox she’s laying down the law and telling Dexter that his days of being a lone wolf are numbered. There’s a moment when he sarcastically says “I hope you have a big shower” and Deb gives him a look that reminds us of her little ‘I love my brother from another mother in a way very un-sibling like’ revelation from last season. Not sure if they’re going to pursue that, but as someone who has grown up with a brother who wasn’t a blood brother, I vote please no.

The first rule of Fort Knox is honesty, something that Dexter wants to commit to. At least, right now he does. Bad habits are hard to break.

Deb serves up some spaghetti, dripping with deep red tomato sauce, and decides that this is the time to ask Dexter about his needs.

Dexter: It starts with blood. […] The image of it. Trickling down the back of my eyelids, the trickle becomes a stream, then a flood. It fills me up, all my empty spaces. But then the blood isn’t red anymore […] It’s black. Pressing. Feels like my head is going to explode. The only way to relieve the pressure is to open the flood gates and let it spill out.

Debra’s reaction is disgusted, which I’ll have to admit mirrors mine. The idea of Dexter is noble, but like most people, I’m not super keen on blood. Still, her reaction is an honest gut one, and it’s nice to see that she isn’t trying to hide anything from Dexter in attempt to convert him to the light side. She very candidly tells him that if he ever feels like “wrapping someone up in plastic and stabbing them” to call her so that she can tell him not to. And there’s the second rule.